PART V.

THE ERA OF THE

FRENCH REVOLUTION,

AS FIGURED UNDER THE SIX FIRST VIALS OF THE SEVENTH TRUMPET.

APOC. XI. 15-19. XV, XVI. 1-12, AND XIV. 6—8.

A. D. 1789-1830.

INTRODUCTION:

ON THE APOCALYPTIC SYNCHRONISMS AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE SEVENTH TRUMPET.

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We have now to revert to the seventh trumpet's sounding. But let me, before entering on the historical fulfilment (so far as it may hitherto have advanced) of that Trumpet, premise a few words in the present introductory Section, on its Apocalyptic synchronisms, and its form and order of development. Indeed this is absolutely necessary, in order to our having the pathway clear before us as we proceed.

It will not have been forgotten by the reader that at the commencement of Part IV. I called attention to the indubitable marks in Apoc. xii, and down to Apoc. xiv. 5. of a retrogression in the Apocalyptic visions: a retrogression made in order to furnish full and explicit explanation on one most important matter that was only alluded to before; I mean the history and character

1 See pp. 1-3, suprà.

of the Beast from the abyss, spoken of in Apoc. xi. 7. as the slayer of Christ's two witnesses. And I suggested its agreement with the form of the seven-sealed scroll, written without as well as within: seeing that this form is most simply explicable by the supposition of its two sides being inscribed with two chronologically parallel lines of prophecy.-Hitherto this parallelism seems to have been palpable. The circumstance of the remarkable prophetic period of the 1260 days, or years, being declaredly involved in either series, from a date of common commencement, after certain preliminary events noticed alike in both, down to the end, or at least very nearly the end, of the period in either case, this circumstance, I say, is an indication of chronological parallelism not to be mistaken. For let it be remembered that if in the first series, after a figuring of long continued persecutions of the saints under the supremacy of the powers of one political heaven, viz. the Roman Pagan, there is described as following, under quite a new and different political heaven,2 the 1260 years of the Witnesses' sackcloth-robed testimony, synchronically with the Beast-obeying Gentiles of the outer Temple-court treading down the Holy City, and the fated time of God's decisive judgment against these corrupters of the earth,3 and consequently of the primary ending of the 1260 years, is defined not to begin until the seventh Trumpet's sounding, so in the second series, after a figuring of the Pagan Dragon's persecution of the saints, and of the saints at length overcoming and casting him down from his political heaven by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, there is described as next following the 1260 years of the Woman the faithful Church's exile in the wilderness, and of the triumphant reign of the Dragon's substituted successor, the Beast from the abyss, the new grand enemy to the Woman's witness-bearing children; nor

1 Viz. in the Vision of the Souls under the altar in the 5th Seal. 2 The old political heaven having in the 6th Seal been dissolved and past away. 3 Apoc. xi. 18.

is there any intimation of God's decisive judgment beginning against this enemy,' and consequently of any primary ending to the 1260 years, until the Angel's cry in mid-heaven announcing it, that was charged with the preaching of the everlasting Gospel. Hence I say the manifest parallelism of the two series; down to the synchronical epochs of the seventh Trumpet's sounding in the first series, and the gospel-bearing Angel's flight in the second.2 Nor I think, if we look with care, shall we fail to see proof of the continued parallelism of the two series, as we trace their respective visions still further onward: alike in those belonging to the Vth Part of our Commentary that we are now about entering on, and in those belonging to its VIth and last Part.

For thus much seems quite clear: viz. 1. that the same series of visions that we have been lately considering, (that on the Part without of the scroll,) continues onward in its course uninterruptedly to a symbolization of the closing judgment on apostate Christendom at the end of the XIVth Apocalyptic Chapter; and 2ndly, that then the former series, (on the Part within,) which was broken off suddenly, as we saw, at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet, is reverted to, and resumed, and continued onward to a precisely parallel symbolization with the former, of the closing judgment against Christendom. -1st. I say, in what remains of Ch. XIV the visions advance step after step continuously towards, and up to, the consummation of God's judgments against apostate Christendom. For what their subjects? First, and next in succession after the intimation already considered of declension in the Protestant Churches, there is the vision of a missionary Angel with the Gospel in hand to preach to all nations,3 "the hour," it was said,

1 Apoc. xiv. 7.

2 See the Chart for illustration.

3 I subjoin the passage referred to, that the reader may have it under view in its continuity.

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people: saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give

"of God's judgment having come;"-then that of another Angel with the cry of Babylon's falling, and of another with the warning voice of an impending judgment of fire on the Beast and his followers;-then an intimation from heaven of the dead being thenceforth blessed ;then the sign of the Son of Man in heaven preparing to reap the earth's harvest :-then, finally, that of the vine of the earth being cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God; a judgment this last most clearly of the consummation. After which, 2ndly, the subject is suddenly changed, the continuity interrupted. And, instead of the figurations advancing still onward to things subsequent, as to a description of the Lamb's marriage, or of the New Jerusalem,-St. John speaks again of the temple of God appearing opened in heaven, precisely as he described it to have been at the sounding of the seventh Trumpet,' when the former series of visions (i. e. of the Part within-written) was so abruptly broken off,

glory to him: for the hour of his judgment is come; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.-And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.-And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.-Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.—And I looked, and behold a white cloud and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of Man; having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, saying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.—And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth; and gathered the vine of the earth; and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God. And the wine-press was trodden without the city; and blood came out of the wine-press even unto the horse-bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs."-Apoc. xiv. 6—20.

Apoc. xi. 19.

1

just as if reverting to, and resuming, that earlier interrupted vision also of seven vial-bearing Angels coming forth out of the Temple, charged with the seven last plagues of God's wrath, which plagues seem evidently to be the development of the before-mentioned 7th Trumpet: -just at the last of which vials we are told of Christ appearing with a vesture dipped in blood, fresh from the treading of the wine-press of Divine wrath; a vision that we can scarce mistake in supposing chronologically coincident with, or quickly consequent upon, that of the treading of the wine-press described, as a little while since said, in the supplementary Series, or Part without written, at the end of Apoc. xiv.2—Which being so, and the striking chronological notice, in Apoc. xiv. 7, of "the hour of God's judgments having then come," seeming similarly, as before observed, to mark the parallelism of the earlier vision of the Angel flying forth with the everlasting Gospel, to which that notice attaches in the same supplementary series, with the earlier and primary development of the 7th Trumpet's judgment in the other, the fittings of the loop and the tache, at both the commencement of this closing part in the two series, and at its ending, seem sufficiently obvious.

I said that the seven Vials appear evidently to be the development of the seventh Trumpet. And I think the Reader will agree with me, that on this point too we can scarce be mistaken. For besides that the analogy of the seventh Seal, developed under the seven Trumpets, would naturally suggest a similar development of the seventh Trumpet under the next succeeding septenary of Vials,— besides this, I say, it is to be remembered, that the revealing Angel in Apoc. x. 7, distinctly spoke of the seventh Trumpet as that in which God's mystery was to be finished; a fact asserted also in the anticipatory songs sung on the Trumpet's sounding. And could the finishing Trumpet (of which, be it observed, there appears no other development) fail to include, or run parallel with, 2 See the Chart at the beginning of my Commentary.

1 Apoc. xix. 13, 15.